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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pit — a hole
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. chip — to eat
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ground — a position
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pit — in a race
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wake — a trail
  16. charge — a price
  17. rash — a series
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. ground — the earth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com